By By KEVIN TRAVIS
Sports Editor
JAMESVILLE — Paxton Gwinn sure can pull a punch for the Cape Hatteras Hurricanes. However, the Jamesville Bullets used solid contributions from Holly Knott, Haley Bowen and Corey Ange to deflect those punches.
A team effort led the Bullets to a three-game sweep of the Hurricanes, 25-22, 25-23, 25-8, in Thursday’s Tideland Conference volleyball match. The win kept Jamesville (14-1, 9-0) perfect in conference action.
“It’s not one player,” Jamesville coach Carrie Jones said of her team’s success. “Every single player that’s out there is contributing. Different ones step up on different days.
“I told them I’m so proud of the way they play together, especially today. We played well defensively with Hatteras having their big hitters. It was a real team effort.”
Knott, Bowen and Ange all had key kills throughout the match, while Peri Ange did a nice job at the serve line. It all helped offset the hard-hitting Gwinn, a sensational athlete who can dominate the net.
“We’ve been playing together for four years now,” said Knott, one of the team’s captains. “It’s all about teamwork and being together.”
Momentum shifted early in the first game. A smash by Knott gave Jamesville a 12-9 lead, which turned into a 14-9 lead, but Hatteras charged back, tying it at 14 on a Gwinn kill. Ashley Mobley’s kill and two service points gave the Bullets a 22-19 lead, but Hatteras was able to pull within 23-22. A kill by Corey Ange, followed by a serve from Paige Lilley, capped the game and gave the Bullets a 1-0 lead.
Behind the play of Gwinn, Hatteras jumped out to leads of 8-4 and 12-9 in the second game. Kills by Corey Ange and Mobley, who had a handful of them at key situations, helped the Bullets tie it up at 13-all. The teams continued to trade the lead until a Corey Ange smash tied it at 23. Lilley served the final two points for the Jamesville victory, and a 2-0 advantage.
Corey Ange had the hot hand at the serve line early in the third game, while a Knott knockdown gave the Bullets a comfortable 8-2 lead. Bowen rattled off nine straight points herself, helping the Bullets pull away.
Jones was pleased with how her team finished off the Hurricanes.
“We don’t really have any big hitters, like (Hatteras) does,” Jones said. “It’s just a matter of heart. It’s just them out there hustling and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The Bullets play host to Bear Grass on Tuesday.